Lt. John Phebus, Waterford Regional Fire Department fire inspector, warns people to be cautious around space heaters during winter months since they are often the cause of fires during the colder months. (Photo by Carol Hopkins)

FYI

The threat of winter fires is real, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

905 people die in winter home fires each year.

$2,091,000,000 in property loss occurs from winter home fires.

67 percent of winter fires occur in one- and two-family homes.

5-8 p.m. is the most common time for winter home fires.

Cooking is the No. 1 cause of winter fires. If clothing catches on fire, stop, drop and roll.

Keep chimneys clean.

During the holiday, purchase a tree that’s freshly cut, and keep it away from any open candles.

Doublecheck all extension cords, strings of lights to make sure none of the cords are frayed which could be a fire hazard. Also, before going to bed every night set a timer to remind yourself to turn off the lights to prevent any of the lights from overheating and causing a fire. Avoid overloading electrical outlets.

Make sure electrical cords aren’t covered in snow.

Consider using battery-operated candles rather than open flame, and never use candles on trees.

Mounds of rubble and ice surround the Auburn Hills home where a 55-year-old man died in a deadly fire Wednesday.

Because the man’s body was burned beyond recognition, fire investigators said identifying the man could take two days or more. The cause of the blaze hasn’t been determined.

Sadly, fire crews around the region have been busy in recent days. In Detroit two children died in a Dec. 6 fire where investigators speculate space heaters could have been the cause. On Thursday, Dec. 12, five people in a Detroit home escaped an inferno that may have started at an overloaded electrical socket.

In Pontiac a woman’s blouse caught fire while she was cooking at her home on Murphy Drive Wednesday. The 42-year-old woman suffered second- and third-degree burns to her chest, shoulder and stomach, reported the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

Advertisement

In winter, cooking is the leading cause of all home fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

On Tuesday a Waterford a fire caused by an oscillating fan at a home in the 7100 block of Banks Street filled the house with thick smoke. Two people were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation. A fire in the second story of a vacant home in the 10 block of Rose Court in Pontiac started in a mattress -- caused either by careless smoking or a squatter trying to stay warm, said Lt. John Phebus, fire inspector with Waterford Regional Fire Department. The doors to the house were forced open, he said.

Between 2007-2011, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 230 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. These fires caused an average of 6 deaths, 22 injuries, and $18.3 million in direct property damage annually. Electrical problems were factors in one-third of home Christmas tree structure fires.

Deadly Auburn Hills fire

The blaze began sometime before 6:30 p.m. at a home in the 20 block of Oakmont Street, located near Auburn and South Adams roads, report Auburn Hills Fire Department officials.

Witnesses reported heavy fire coming from the home, and arriving firefighters saw flames shooting from several windows, according to a statement released by Deputy Fire Director James Manning late Wednesday.

Authorities said the house was severely damaged. On Thursday a neighbor walking past the house, located just east of downtown Auburn Hills, said he really didn’t know the dead man. “He kept to himself,” said the retiree.

Lt. Ryan Gagnon, who said investigators initially believe the dead man was the homeowner, added officials also think the fire was accidental. But medical examiners still need to perform toxicology tests to show whether any drugs or alcohol were involved and how much carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation the man suffered.

“The toxicology results will assist us in trying to determine how it started and what condition the victim was in during the fire, as well as the time of death,” said Gagnon.

Winter: deadly time for fires

With the colder months come new concerns about fire, officials stress.

“Any time you use an alternate heating source, you raise your risk of fire,” said Matt Covey, Waterford Regional Fire assistant chief/fire marshal.

Firefighters dealt with the exact situation just this week. On Wednesday, Dec. 11, Waterford Regional Fire crews were called to a chimney fire at 1 p.m. in 2000 block of Caterham Drive, north of Williams Lake Road. The fire was contained in the chimney.

“They were very lucky,” said Phebus. “Sometimes fires breech the chimney liner and cause the house to burn down.”

He recommended having a professional check chimneys on a regular basis.

Covey said people also don’t read directions when it comes to using space heater.

“They have to be plugged directly into the wall,” he said.

People make the mistake of using weak, flimsy extension cords, a real problem, he said.

“Those cords can’t handle the load,” said Covey. Last year, the department responded to several space heater fires, he said.

Kerosene heaters can also be deadly.

People have been known to use the wrong liquid, said Covey, including highly flammable gasoline.

“Or they will put the heaters near combustibles such as bedding or couches,” he said.

Space heaters should be ventilated properly. Some require that a window be open to vent fumes.

The heater doesn’t have to be touching a surface to cause problems.

“It can get hot enough that something can catch on fire,” he said.

Kids can accidentally knock over heaters so parents should be watchful of children.

People who try to keep pipes from freezing should be cautious, said White Lake Fire Lt. Jim Thompson.

“They’ll put heating tape on pipes in crawl spaces to keep lines from freezing,” he said.

That can lead to fires if not installed properly.

People who become desperate and can’t afford utility bills often try to tamper with meters -- a dangerous situation, said officials.

If there is a fire, arriving crews often have a harder time working to cut power, said officials.

Covey has been around fires that take place around the holidays.

He’s seen people left without a place to stay, their possessions destroyed by the flames.

About the Authors

John Turk covers the police beat and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners for The Oakland Press. He is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University. Reach the author at john.turk@oakpress.com
or follow John on Twitter: @jrturk.